The Sun. — London, England, 1864-10-20 00:00:00

Lord Stanley, Constituents, KING'S LYNN, OCt. 19. After another prolonged silence—at any rate as between himself and his constituents—Lord Stan. ley, M.P., met the electors and non-electors of this borough to-day, in the Townhall, and addressed them at length upon public affairs. The Mayor (Mr. W. Burkitt) presided, and introduced the noble lord to the meeting which was, at first, thinly attended. Lord STANLEY, M.P., who was received with cheers, said—Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, I have come here for the purpose of addressing to you a few words on the present state of public affairs, in accordance with a promise made long ago, and at the request of many here present, whom I may reckon among my friends. I say thi s th at I may not seem to occupy your time unneces. sarily, and I suppose I need offer no excuse for not having stood before you in this room either last autumn or the autumn before. One reason and jus tification of my not doing so is that the last three years, however dreadful in the history of Europe and America, have been years of singular peace and calm as regards the people of these islands. It is not difficult to see to what peace has been owing. Great commercial prosperity, the general absence of distress among the people, with one notable ex. ception, while in that case the distress had been re. lieved and alleviated with a care and success never witnessed before on so large a scale—the well. founded belief that any measure really called for by public opinion will be passed, and that so far our constitution answers the purpose for which it was framed; the removal in the last 30 years of nearly all the grievances which in the days of the old Reform Bill stirred men's minds; stirring events abroad, drawing off attention from home a ffairs, and, perhaps, also a kind of political seep. ticism, encouraged, if not created, by a Govern ment which is practically absolute in France, and by the crisis through which the great Western Re public is passing, are the causes of the state of things which exists now; which has greatly per plexed politicians of the old school, and which has disgusted those who confound agitation with pro. gress. Some of these causes no doubt are temporary, and others are permanent in their character. Ido not expect the absolute calm of the last four or five years to continue ; neither do I believe we shall re. turn to the somewhat feverish and excited condition of the public mind which prevailed, with few inter missions, from 1830 to the time of the Crimean war. Now, I do not regret this. It isequite right to ascer tain from time to time that your house is in good order, the foundation safe, and the roof watertight; but a man may do that without passing his life in examin ing every crack in the plaster, or testing the sound. nese of every plank and beam; or, to put it in an other way, those are healthiest men who are always thinking about their health ; and as it is with individuals, so it is with States. Political institutions are a means, not an end; and if peace is kept, if life and property are protected at home, if the revenue is fairly collected and economically spent, and if individual freedom is left to every man, as far as is consistent with the rights of others, to do the bast he can for himself and his enterprises, I believe the State has discharged the principal functions which it can with advantage undertake. I think in our time it is one of the duties of a man of sense, whether he calls himself a Liberal or a Conservative. to watch that the State does not, as all Continental Governments, without an exception, do, extend its control far beyond these which are its legitimate and natural occupations. Now, let me say, after this preface, that I do not mean to ask you to follow me in what is called a review of the session. What is done is done, and neither praise nor fault-finding can mend it. We may, then, leave the past alone ; our busi ness is with the present and the future. There is only one past debate to which I shall refer, and I notice it because it seems likely, in a great degree, to influence the present policy of the Government, We had a discussion last July on the conduct of foreign affairs. Tne ostensible object of that debate was to take the sense of the house as to whether the Danish negociatioßs had been mismanaged, and the object with which many members—l among the rest—went into it was, to obtain from Parliament a distinct and decided expression of opinion in favour of a policy of non-intervention in Continental dis putes. In that we perfectly succeeded. The feeling upon that point came nearer to unanimity than I ever recollect to have been the case in Parliament upon any occasion equally important. I believe the feeling of the country went the same way, and unless I greatly mistake it, the debate 011864 will mark the beginning of a new era in the his. tory of Briti6h diplomacy. Only do not let us feel two confident that the victory is gained. Welcome everybody's reason, with very few exceptions, in favour of a policy of peace. But cases are likely to arise which the feelings and political passions of many men will be on the other side, and caution and care will still be necessary lest what has been gained in 1864 should be lost in future years. Now, perhaps I ought to correct myself in speaking of a policy of nonintervention. Ido not mean that England should not have given advice nor express an opinion upon questions not affec'.ing her own in terests, but I say that that should be done without menace, or the semblance of menace; it should be done in such a way as not to hold out hopes or threats that force is intended to be used. (Cheers.) Inasmuch, too, as advice tendered under such circumstances is unfortunately apt to be received with no great respect, I think it ought only to ba given on rare and important occasions, when there is a reasonable hope that the parties concerned will be willing to ac cept it, and when the national conscience and feeling require protest on the part of our Government. Now, there are at this time four leading questions in fo reign affairs which are likely to occupy attention for some time to come. First, there is the American war, as to which I think the duty of absolute neutrality is plain, so much so that for my part I do not wish to violate that neutrality even to the extent of ex pressing sympathy with one side or the other. I speak of it simply as an observer, and if I were to venture a prediction, which is always hazardous, I should say that I see no prospect of its early close. When two nations are worked up to a pitch of mutual hatred, in which their own losses cease to affect them if they only can inflict a greater loss upon the enemy, nothing will separate them except the utter exhaustion of one or the other. The time for that has not yet come. Neither party, as I believe, is half-beaten yet, and considering the determine. tion which the North has shown, I think it likely, as I did three years ago, that with its enormous su periority of force it will occupy and overrun in the end the whole territory of the South. The North may succeed so far as to gratify its feeling of revenge and its desire for supremacy ; but when it has done that its political difficulties will begin. I cannot realise the manner in which a republican commu nity of 20,000,000 is to hold, consistently with its own principles of government, or indeed with any principles of government, another community of 6,000,000 or 7,000,000 utterly disaffected to its own rule, (Hear, hear.) That is the real perplexity of the America future, As to the drain of men and money, Ido not attach much weight to that. The overflow of Europe will fill up all gaps in the population, and although I should be myself equally sorry to be a creditor either of the North or of the South, yet a country with the gigantic natural re sources of America cannot be permanently ruined. All we can do—all we ought to do, is to let them fight it out. We are not in any way responsible for the war ; we did not make it or advise it ; and we know for certain that any offer of English mediation would be repelled as an insult, and would probably be ascribed to interested motives, although oar concern in the question, as the thing has turned rest. is r eally more o ne o f h uman i ty than self-inte- I the cottdoubt, if we take into account the state of on markets in 1860 and set against th e cot ton famine the °Penin,ofnew markets el sew h ere and the gai n to whethe r we have been on the whole serious losers by the war. (Hear.) Ther e i s , next, the question of Italy. and as to that I think we see our way more clearly than we did two or three years since. The Italian people have e under n e de niably shown moderation and go o d 92. - l i ee d that a s t e o rn o e t , h : r r slderable difficulties, and they h ave their rewar c d for I thinkn; it is impossible to doubt ili e at least the Roman territory, will hands at no very distant date, The whole arrange ment with France comes to this—that the Pope may hold his own if be can, his debts being paid for him, and time being given him to orfonise an army of his own. Now, even if the Italian Government were inclined to observe that treaty strictly—and probably they will observe it only in the letter—they cannot pre vent a rising in Rome itself, and they cannot pre vent the pouring in over the extended frontier of money, arms, and volunteers; and then the question remains, whether any army which the Pope can maintain on his own account, supported as he may be indirectly by Austria and Spain, but not assisted by any European State, will suffice to put down a rising. I do not think that we in England can easily understand the extrema importance which the Italians attach to the possession of what is an unhealthy and decaying town, possessing no pecu• liar military and commercial advantages, and with nothing to recommend it except its historical name. Bat if they think it worth while on that account to quarrel with the bulk of their clergy (who form in Italy a powerful class), and their adherents, and to incur the of the Catholic Powere,l think the choice will be in their own hands; at all events they will not have to wait a considerably long time. It is impossible that they can long maintain an army upon its present footing; they are at this moment spending 50 per cent, above their income, and the alternative before them is plain—either to disarm in part, and to adopt permanently a policy of peace, or to involve themselves in a fresh war with Austria, the issue of which would be exceedingly doubtful. For my own part, accepting Italy as a fact, and wishing well to its people and Government, I hope they will adopt the former and not the latter course, Most States desire to extend their frontiers, but it is a bad bargain to do that at the cost of national bankruptcy; and if to accomplish this object, they have to call in foreign aid, they might be expected to pay for it as they did before, and that would, I think, be a transaction not very edifying on the score of political morality, and not very conducive to the maintenance of political tranquillity in Eu rope. (Hear, hear.) There is another part of Europe in which we shall probably see great changes before long—l mean Germany. It is clear that the clumsy scheme of a German confederation has in practice broken down, and it is equally clear that the mutual rivalry of Austria and Prussia, to say nothing of the jealousy of foreign States, will make it impos sible for all Germany to be united for any purpose or in any manner as a single community. The only remaining alternative is that the smaller States should unite among themselves for mutual protec tion, in which case they would be dependent upon France to a great extent ; or that, according to their geographical position and their political ten dencies, they should connect themselves, some with Austria and some with Prussia, so as to be, for diplomatic and military purposes, practically an nexed to those countries. The latter alternative , is, in my opinion, the more likely to be the result wit nessed, and in that case I sincerely hope England will not interfere, even by her voice, to prevent it. The existence of these petty German sovereignties is useless ; they multiply, as we have seen, the risks of war ; they serve, as far as I can see, no politi cal purpose, and the sooner they disappear from the map of Europe the better, in my judg ment. (Hear, hear.) The fourth question of which I spoke is that of the East. It does not press at this moment, so I shall only touch it in passing. I believe the breaking up of the Turkish empire to be only a question of time, and probably not a very long time. The Turks have played their part in history; they have had their day, and that day is over ; and I confess I do not understand, excepi it be from the influence of old diplomatic traditions, the determination of our older statesmen to stand by the Turkish rule, whether right or wrong. I think we are making for ourselves enemies of races which will very soon become in Eastern countries dominant races, and I think we are keeping back countries by whose improvement we, as the great traders of the world, shall be the great gainers, and that we are doing this for no earthly advantage, either present or prospective. I admit that Env land has an interest, and a very strong one, in the neutrality of Egypt, and some interest also, although to a less extent, in Constantinople not falling into the hands of a great European Power ; but tht se two points set aside, I can conceive no injury arising to Great Britain from any transfer of power which might affect the Turkish Empire, and although this is not a practical question at the present moin,nt, 1 have a very strong idea that, before long, it will become so. Now, in regard to Colonial matters, apart from the question of the African settlement, and that of defence, which I shall deal wiAl as matters of finance, there is only one subject which need interest us greatly at home—l mean the rela tions amongst themselves of the colonies composing the two great groups, Australian and American. In British North America there is a strong movement in progress in favour of federation, or rather of union, in some shape. In Australia I believe the same feeling exists, but not so deeply, and though it has not assumed a practical form, I think that tendency ought to be encouraged in both one and the other case. (Hear, hear.) We know that those countries must before long be independent States. We have no interest except in their strength and wellbeing, We see in America the peril of a Federal Union hastily and loosely arranged between States, each jealous of its separate and sovereign power. We have settled the relations of the colonies to the mother country, it is now our work to help them to settle their relations with one another; by so doing we shall strengthen the Bri tish Empire whilst they remain with us, and obtain more willing and more powerful allies when they cease to be in a position of dependence. Now Ido not know if it is worth while to mention that un lucky quarrel which has sprung up between the home and colonial authorities of Australia on the subject of transportation. (Hear, hear.) The case is this, we continue to send a certain number of con victs to Western Australia, as we have an undoubted right to do, and the West Australians themselves do not complain. But when the sentences of the convicts are expired, they migrate to the other colonies, and introduce there a dangerous and de praved population. Against this the Australians complain, and say, as I think with perfect truth, that if you turn these men loose upon any part of the Continent they are sure to find their way to every other. Now there is some irritation, I am afraid I must say a great deal of irritation, upon the subjeot, and I think not unreasonably, I mention it because I think it is a matter in wuteu la is mete, folly for England to stand upon her legal rights. We know that before long the Western Australians themselves will object, as the other colonists have done, to receive our felons, and when that happens we must discontinue to send them. It is only, therefore, a question of sending them for a few years. Under these circumstances I think it would be wise for the English Uovernment to yield at once and declare that transportation to Western Australia shall cease. (Hear.) They will have to make that concession before long, and it is surely wiser and better to do so when they can do it freely and whilst we can de so with a good grace. (Cheers.) And now, gentlemen, coming nearer home, let me say a few words upon matters which touch us more closely. In days of external and internal peace financial questions are naturally those which take the lead. And in respect to finance, our posi tion is so thoroughly sound and satisfactory that our only fear is that it may be too good to last. (Cheers.) We have tided over the great cotton famine without loss or injury, and i❑ a way which no one could have expected. We ilave a trade increasing more rapidly than that of any European country. We are, as a Government, living within our income, which is more than can be said of any Continental State at the present time. (Hear.) In finance nothing succeeds like success— every surplus that you have given you is an oppor., tunity of creating a surplus for future years by the removal of inconvenient and obnoxious taxes ; and I do not see anything, short of a foreign war or of some great national disaster at home, why the pro• gress which we are now making should not con. tinue. (Hear, hear.) I find no fault with the ge. neral course of our fiscal policy of the last few years. At the same time that it is easy to be liberal when there is plenty to give away, it is not difficult to reduce burthens when the country is growing in wealth every day. I think also, though this is rather a matter of speculative criticism than of pre, sent importance, that in discussing these questions we are very apt to make the mistake of attributing too much to legislation and too little to the natural progress of the country. (Hear.) Thirty millions of the moat hardworking people in the world, and in a country where the leading idea of 99 men out of a 100 is to increase their fortune and improve their position, enjoying the advantage of a general peace in Europe, and with vast colonies extending and increasing every year—such a population can hardly help growing richer under any system of finance that is not absolutely bad. What, however, is by the way our business, is to consider, not the past, but our present and future position. First, let us look to the side of expenditure. Have we any prospect of being able to return to the figures of that golden age of economists, the years from 1835 to 1840 ? I fear we must dismiss that as an idle hope. Everything is more costly now than it was then. We see it and we feel it in private life. Europe is more heavily armed ; parts of it are more disposed for war, and however little we may be inclined to meddle, still a certain amount of defensive preparation is a matter not of choice but of necessity. (Hear, hear.) You will never again, I think, see the national accounts showing a figure on either side of less than sixty millions; but there are certain items in which I believe re ductions, and not inconsiderable reductions, can be made. (Applause.) Ido not pretend to minute acquaintance with the working of the dockyards ; but there is an extraordinary concurrence of testi mony on the part of every person to whom I have spoken (and I have discussed the matter with en gineers and sailors, and with others who ought to be acquainted with the subject, again and again)— there is, I say, an almost unanimity of testimony that the work there done, though it is good work when it is done, is costly in a very extraordinary degree—(hear, hear)—and that, I think, is only, what might be expected. In establishmenttof such vast magnitude you cannot have the master's eye everywhere. You have nobody personally inte rested in forcing a strict and minute economy. Dockyard men Wive votes—(laughter) —and I am afraid there is a good deal of political jobbery re maining; and, apart from that, nothing leads to waste, even among perfectly honest men, more than the knowledge that your employers' purse is one that you cannot exhaust. Now, I fear our enor mous wealth is making us rather too careless in these matters. I think, also, it is a question whether, in the utter uncertainty which at present exists as to the best ship and the best gun, we ought to go on building iron clads at the present rate. On the whole, though I speak with diffidence, yet I believe in a year or two we ought to be able to knock off from the navy estimates from a million to a million and a half, and that without doing any injury to the service. (Applause.) As to the mili tary services, the case is somewhat different. I believe that, upon the whole, we get money's worth for our money; and I do not grudge any expendi ture which may be found necessary in providing improved barracks, or in providing more efficient arms. But there is the question to consider whether we are not making a mistake, in scattering our mili tary forces too much over the world,and keeping up garrisons at various points which are at once burden some in peace and too small to ba effective in war. (Hear.) I say nothing as to Malta or Gibraltar; those are great Imperial fortresses, and must be held in strength. So, again, such places as Hong Kong, or Bermuda, or Aden, cannot be left without defence. Australia is virtually self-protected ; India pays its own troops ; but Ceylon and Mauritius might be made, I think, to do the same; and at the Cape, where till lately we kept up an army rather than a garrison, the settlers are now, or ought to be, strong enough and numerous enough to hold their own against any ordinary native attack. So again in New Zealand—where we must all be glad to see that that most costly and annoying Maori war is over—l think it is time to tell the colonists from henceforth, " Yuu are now stronger than the native tribes; you are stronger in numbers ; you have the advantage of wealth, of discipline, of civilisation ; they have had a lesson ; if you do not meddle with them they are not likely to disturb you again ; and, therefore, take notice, from this time we shall leave you to fight your own battlee." (Hear, hear.) I think in such a colonial policy as I suggest there is groundwork laid for a saving of expense which would not be inconsiderable. There is another matter which Parliament must shortly deal with— our relations with the African coast. There has been a waste of money in that, the most pestilen tial climate which exists, of which, 1 believe, few persons are fully aware, and the risk is even greater than the loss. Take the thing called the Cape Coast protectorate. That may at any time involve you in war—it last year actually did involve you in war —with some barbarous chief like the King of Ashantee, in a country where men die like rotten sheep, and never see the face of an enemy. And what is the return for all that ? I suspect income monly little. The whole subject of these African settlements and of the African squadron wants in quiry, and I am glad to learn that it is about to be taken up in the course of next session by an inde pendent member. My own idea is, hold on to places where you either have, or where you can develops an important traffic, if, by abandoning there you would sacrifice that traffic; but do not go inland, hold nothing except where you can reach by water; keep clear of protectorates and alliances, and -recollect that though civilised Africa may be a very noble idea with those who are willing to undertake it, still England ought to be just before she is generous, and we have plenty of that work to do nearer home. (Applause.) There is one colony with regard to which we are in a posi tion of great perplexity. I mean Canada. In the event of a rupture with the United States—l hope is impossible—Canad a i s our vulnerable it is most improbable, but in th e i r present temper nothing a point. It is the most indefensibl e country in the world—a long narrow strip, with n o d epth of coun stpryartshe atis habitable hfallehadback n upon, experience of ex d with a population have who war. And yet the case is not one in which we can honourably say to the Canadians—" Defend your selves—it is not our affair." If they were to be brought into a war in consequence of a quarrel be tween England and the United States—a war which they had done nothing to bring about, and as to which they had not even a voice—we could not in honour or duty abandon them. All we can do is to can on trivai, SU lin% GC Limy £e1,4111 WWI" CUULICULIULI with us, to do more towards their own defence than they have as yet done, and to make our assistance conditional upon their doing that. That we can do, and we can avoid sending troops into the interior, where they are neither numerous enough to be of use, nor in a position where, if attacked, they could retire with honour. Canada I look upon as an ex ceptional case. With regard to the other colonial garrisons, I think they will bear a considerable re duction, although no doubt that must be gradually and cautiously done. As to the civil expenditaire I have nothing to say—or rather, I must frankly tell you, I do not look for ward in regard of that to any saving of importance. The days of sinecures and jobs are very nearly over; there are very few offices which, even by the strictest revision, you could do away with, and there are many heads of expense which we must expect, as population grows, to be come heavier rather than lighter. I hold it, there. fore, as certain that any economical reform of im portance must take place in the military and naval ' departments. I think we are as a nation —we have been of late —somewhat too apathetic in these matters ; but some movement has been made in that direction, and, taking into contempla tion our prospects for the next three or four years, I see on the whole nothing extravagantly sanguine in looking forward to a reduction of at least two millions, and possibly of more. Now to that we have to add the natural increase of the re. venue to an extent, including recovery from duties reduced, of about a million and a quarter yearly. lam taking a very moderate estimate. It has been more than that—it has been more than a million and a half during the last three years; and when one remembers that those years, however prosperous in other respects, have been the years of the cotton famine, I think it is not unreasonable to suppose that a similar increase will continue. (Hear, hear.) Of course I am arguing on the assumption that our course of prosperity is not interrupted by any great European war in which we should be involved; but that, I think, is t h e only thing seriously to fear, and, if I am right, we may with reasonable economy look forward to a relief from taxation in the next four years to the extent of six or seven millions. (Applause.) Now that anticipation makes it clear to my mind that, whatever else we may find to fight about in the House of Commons, financial questions will not lead to any very serious Parliamentary struggles. Of course some may think that one tax should have precedence, and some may prefer another; but with reasonable patience, every strong claim may be satisfied. Of course it would be idle to attempt to frame budgets for future years ; but I may indicate briefly a few of what I consider to be leading principles. The worst tax, beyond exception, that we have, is that on fire insurances. (Applause.) It yields altogether about a million and a half, and I doubt if there is any other part of our taxation of equal amount that is liable to equally grave objections. You, by your Town Council, have petitioned against it ; and I think you have done wisely. It is a discouragement to prudence ; it is an encouragement to gambling speculation—for a man who prefers betting on his luck rather than insuring is in effect a gambler; it cripples a great and profitable business which, if not taxed, would rise to dimensions far exceeding the present ; and if it is —what persons speaking in its defence have called it—a tax upon property, it is a tax imposed upon property in the most capri cious and arbitrary way. It spares the great pro prietor who can afford to be his own insurer; it spares the man who has his property scattered over a great multitude of different investments; it falls heaviest upon those who are not rich enough to meet the loss—who cannot afford to be their own insurers. (Hear, hear.) At the same time, I do not say that it is necessary to sweep away that tax altogether. It is the excessive amount that makes the hardship. A tax of 3s. is injurious where a tax of 6d. would be harmless. If it were reduced to that amount the exemption accorded long ago to agricultural stock might in that case, I think, fairly be done away with, and that very small charge be imposed upon all alike. At that rate, which would be only one-sixth of the pre sent, you would still retain a quarter of a million from the tax ; and, in a few years, from the in crease of the practice of insurance, I believe it would yield three times as much, (Hear, hear.) Now, next in order, I think, is the income tax —(hear, hear)—and with regard to that I think we.ought to consider our position carefully. The popular thing, of course, is to say, " Sweep it off altogether." (Laughter.) I should like to think that fairly possible; but I doubt whether it could be done consistently with justice. (Hear, hear.) I think, if you were to do so, the effect would be, unless many other taxes were removed at the same time, to destroy the balance between direct and indirect taxation, and therefore to throw a heavier proportion of the burden upon those classes who do not at present contribute to the income tax. I think that 31., or even 4d. in the pound —that is 11 to nearly 11 per cent—is not a very heavy burden, and that where the total propor tion of the tax to income is so small, those in equalities which, as I believe, are inherent and inevitable in any income tax, will cease to be prac tically felt. I think, also, there is an advantage in having the machinery ready at hand, and not having to create it afresh, in the event of any national exigency. I think, therefore, if we could get down that tax to half of its present rate, we might fairly be content, and we ought not for the present to attempt to go further. In cus toms duties the reductions of the last few years have left very little that is urgent to do. Tea, sugar, wino, all have been dealt with. The duty on spirits, I suppose, iu the interest of niorality,no one would be very anxious to reduce, unless it could be shown that it was evaded by smuggling. All the remaining. duties are unimportant, except that on tobacco. That is a duty which I think may wait for a while. No doubt it is excessive in amount, and so it en courages fraud. No doubt also it falls in a heavier propor tion on the poorer than on the richer consumer. And it is a duty which, by means of in'reased consumption, would recwer itself very rapidly if reduced. At the same time the article is not one of necessity—it is not one of which it is desirable to stimulate the consumption indefinitely; and I think, on the whole, it need not be considered, at least until the two questions of income tax and insurance are dealt with. (Hear, hear.) As to the duties on corn, on fruit, on timber, and one or two more, yielding altogether something over a million, they are in general too small a percentage up en the coat of the articles to be very injurious to trade, at the same time the am, 'ant raised by them is not very large. The policy of late years has been that of simplifying our tariff, and I think at no very distant date you will see those duties disappear. (Applause.) Now allow me to say one word as to a tax which has been very much discussed of late —I mean the excise on malt. I have requests from some of you, though not very many, to support the total abolition of that tax, and throughout the eastern counties there has been, I know, a considerable movement in that direction. I must tell you frankly I think that is a thing which Parlia ment will not do, and which in my judgment it is very doubtful whether it ought to do. (Applause.) Consider how the question stands. You would lose by a total repeal of the malt tax six millions, or nearly so, at one blow and if my estimate of our present and future financial con dition is correct, you would thereby cut yourselves off from the possibility of dealing with any other tax, or of relieving any other interest for several years to come. (Hear, hear.) But there is more than that; the loss does not end with that one tax. You would be obviously dimie nishing to a great extent the return from spirits. Probably, also, cheap beer would do something to lessen the consump tion of tea. It is a very moderate estimate to allow for a loss in this indirect way of two or three millions more; and I do not see, looking at it from another point of view, how the duty on tea is to be permanently retained if beer is to be wholly exempt. One is as much a poor man's luxury as the other, and certainly tea is, on the whcle, the more harmless of the two. (Laughter and applause.) I hold, therefore, that the country gentlemen will act with less than their usual prudence and good sense if they commit themselves to a movement for a total repeal. Reduction is hwe may sea in the course of m o s o 0 taken off that duty; but in t a i no e t z e 1 1 . ,0 matter, oo,ooo and or £ I 2, dare ooo, a ta that case, as in that of the tobacco duties, I do not think the claim for remission is very urgent, and certainly I do not think it ought to cone before the income tax and the fire insurance duty. On these questions of finance the general principle which we have to follow I think is clear. I think we ought to divide such surpluses as we may have as fairly as may be between remissions of direct and indi rect taxation. If we hold to that rule Ido not apprehend any very serious differences of opinion. There is, I know, a school of financiers who desire to sweep away all indirect taxation whatever, making up the deficiency by direct taxes on property. Now, my objection to that doctrine is, that in the first place it is utterly impracticable—the public will not have it ; and in the next place, it is utterly unjust. You would be exempting in practice three-fourths of the nation from all taxes, and throwing the whole of the burden upon the remaining fourth_ If these ideas alinuld snake any progress in the public mind, I might have a great deal more to say about them, but at present they are in the nature of speculation only, and I think they will long remain so. (Hear, hear.) Now there is one question of great importance at all times, but on which you will hardly expect me to enter into details to-day---I mean that which relates to the extension of the franchise. It is useless to discuss that matter until we know whether anything is likely to be done or attempted in that direction by the present Cabinet. How that may be I do not know, and possibly they themselves do not. But I do know this, that while a small measure would not satisfy that party from whom the demand for action proceeds, a large measure cannot be carried out except with a state of popular feeling very different from that which exists at present. It is quite idle to think that where the whole question in dis pute is the transfer of power from one class to another, you can settle the matter, after a little friendly discussion, in a way which will satisfy everybody. Any man who expects that will be disappointed. There are many persons here who remember 1832. At that time the whole middle and lower classes, with the exception of a small minority, were on one side, and on the other there were only a few hundred per sons interested in the maintenance of the rotten boroughs, Yet you all remember that the bill of 1832 was not carried without a struggle which agitated the country from one end to the other. It is not now the upper, it is the middle class —the owners of the greater part of the property of the coun try, and by far the most powerful class in it, which exercises political supremacy at the present day. They are not likely to part with it of their own free will, at least, if they do, it will be a new fact in the history of the country, and I see no such movement on the part of the working classes which would be likely to overbear the resistance which might bo expected. I do not think the Conservative party have any thing to reproach themselves with on that subject. They were expected by P ar li ament and the public to make, in 1858-9, some prop osa l which should bo in the nature of a compromise. Th ey made it, failed, and withdrew from power. Their successors made a similar attempt—they failed also, and th ey have stayed where they were. (Cheers and laughter.) Now my opinions on this question are those which I held in 1859, but if it is to be dealt with at all, it cannot be settled without a dissolution of Parliament ; and therefore any persons who wish to have from me a detailed explanation of what I should or what 1 should not support will bs perfectly sure to have his opportunity. (Hear, hear.) But it does not follow, even if the whole question be left un touched, that Parliament need be idle. We have a vast mass of miscellaneous work on hand, quite sufficient to oc cupy our attention for many years to come. Our law—after modern reforms perhaps the most cumbrous and complicated in Europe—requires to be consolidated and simplified. That is a process involving, no doubt, labour at the hands of per sons to whom Parliament may entrust it ; but otherwise the task is not especially difficult. We have that extra ordinary system of purchased commissions in the army which I firmly expect to see done away with, at least so far as regards the higher grades. (Hear, hear.) We have the question of parish or union rating for poor law purposes, and connected with it is that intricate problem, the law of settlement. We know that the administration of our public charities is faulty, and I cannot conceive a better investment of time and labour than would be a Parliamentary inquiry into at least the chief of them, with a view to utilise the vast funds at their disposal. (Hear, hear.) We have a licensing system which satisfies nobody, and the reform of which was: recommended by a committee of the House of Commons ten years since. In Ireland and Scotland the laws which regulate marriage are in a state only fit for a barbarous country. (Hear, hear.) It cannot be said that what is called the private legislation of Parliament is in a condition altogether satisfactory, although, as I frankly ad mit, it is easier to say that then suggest a remedy. (Hear.) Then, our patent laws want amending, if the privilege of granting patents is to be retained—and that itself is a ques tion for very serious discussion. A commission has been issued—upon which I have the honour to sit—to inquire intu the laws relating to capital punishment; and, whatever opinions may exist as to the limits within which such pun-. ishment shall be inflicted, I think almost every one agrees as to the inconvenience of having cases tried over again in pri vate at the Home•office after they have been publicly tried by a judge and jury. (Hear.) Well, I might go on almost indefinitely with a list of questions which require to be dealt with or discussed; but those I have mentioned are enough as a sample. You see there is plenty of work which you may put upon us, and I only wish that you (the constituen cies) would look a little more sharply after us, and make sure that we do it. (Laughter and cheers.) Idleness is not Conservatism. (Hear, hear.) Economy and administrative improvement are quite as much the interests of those classes whose principles and associations make them conservative as of any other; and if, as I believe, the country does not desire organic change, it little 'wishes for a state of utter lethargy and stagnation. Regulated activity disarms agi tation ; apathy and neglect create it, (Cheers.) Now, gen tlemen, you will be glad to hear that I am drawing to a close of what has necessarily been a very long survey. (Cheers.) I am not fond of long speeches; my only excuse must be that the ground to be gone over is extensive, and that in view of an election, and probably of a contest, I did not wish any voter in this town to say that he had been deluded or left in the dark as to the opinions of his representative. (Cheers.) There are two classes of subjects which I have left untouche a— those relating to India, which I fear I could hardly make interesting, and perhaps not intelligible to gentlemen who only near of them for the first time; and questions of an ecclesiastical character, with regard to which, although there may be a good deal of talk, it does not seem to me that Parliament is disposed to take any acs tive step, But on these, as, indeed, any other matter within my power, I shall be glad to answer any questions that may be put to rne. (Hear, hear.) Party politics, as you know, I do not deal in upon these occasions. (Cheers.) In the House of Commons, if a man wishes to do anything, it is almost inevitable that he must act with a political party, but there has never been a time in my memory when party spirit had so little life in it. The reason I believe is, that between moderate Conservatives and moderate Liberals the differences are slight, and those who represent extreme opinions on either side were never fewer, and never exercised less in fluence than at present. (Hear.) There may be an extreme Tory party, though I never saw one, nor do I know what its views are. There is, no doubt, a democratic party, but it numbers but a small minority of the House of Commons. All between represent shades of opinion which impercepti bly merge into one another, the most reasonable one in' my opinion being generally found near the middle. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) That is a state of things which is em barassing to many people ; but as far as I can see, it is not injurious to the country. It may be that those who are now in what is called Opposition may be called upon to take their turn of power. If they are, I hope and believe that they will use it wisely. But one advantage I am afraid they will not have. I greatly doubt whether they will be treated with as much patience and as much forbearance as during the last five years has been exhibited by them to their ' rivals. (Cheers.) But whoever may administer affairs, it is opinion which governs. Opinion is the stream, and politi cians, with all respect to them, are the straws which float upon it. It is opinion which governs, and I believe that opinion in England was never more moderate than now in regard to home affairs, and never more resolute as to the maintenance of peace abroad, never more willing to deal with practical and proved abuses, but never less inclined to undervalue the merits of the system under which we live. (Cheers.) And now once more let me apologise for this long address—let me thank you for the kindness of your recep tion, and let me express a hope that the political tie which now connects us way long remain unbroken. (Cheers.) Broken by my fault I hopo it may not be—broken by my choice I assure you it never shall be. (Loud cheers.) Thanks to the Mayor, and three cheers for the noble lord closed the meeting. Naval and Military Intelligence. Field Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, having concluded his annual visit of inspection of the garrison and defences of Portsmouth for the present year, embarked on board her Majesty's steamer Sprightly, Commander G. Allen, at the Sallyport stairs of the garrison yesterday morning, under a Royal salute from the guns on the King's Bastion of the town fortifications, the Royal standard being at the same time lowered from the garrison flagstaff, and hois'ed at the maintoptuast head of the Sprightly. Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, C. 8,, commanding Portsmouth and the South- West Military District—Lieut.-Gen. Sir Richard Airey, Quartermaster-Gen.—Col. Clifton, Aide-de• Camp to the Duke —Col. Gambier, RA., Deputy-Adjt.-Gen. of Artil lery--Col. Gordon, R.E., commanding Royal Engineers in the South-West District—and Capt. St. John M.Paulet, Aide-de-Camp to Majors Gen. Lord W. Paulet, accom panied his Royal Highness on board the . Sprightly, which immediately afterwards left for Ryde, Isle of Wight, and Southampton Water, it being the duke's intention on leav ing Portsmouth to land in the first instance at Ryde and take carriage across the island to Sandown and inspect the several forts which have been recently erected there along the sho”es of the bay, On returning from Sandown his Royal Highness and the officers with him re-embarked on board the Sprightly, which proceeded to Southampton Water, where they disembarked at the landing place of the Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley, and proceeded to inspect that establishment. From Netley his Royal Highness returned via Southampton to London. In the course of the inspection at Portsmouth on Tuesday after noon,the Duke of Cambridge lunched with Col. Benn and the officers of the Royal Artillery at Fort Brockhurst,which, with Forts Eisen, Rowner, Grange, Gomer, Brown-down Monckton, and Blockhouse, form the eight detached forts in front of the Gosport lines, and are the most im portant works of the kind yet completed in the kingdom. From Fort Brockhurst, the Duke proceeded with Colonel Mackirdy, the senior officer of the Gosport District, to the new barracks, occupied by the 69th Regiment, which was drawn up in line, and inspected by the Field-Marshal, who was highly pleased with the regiment. He afterwards visited the recreation rooms now building for the troops, and the canteen, which has lately been opened under the new regu lations, and is found to answer well. On the same evening his Royal Highness was entertained at dinner by the Lieut. Governor of Portsmouth, Major-General Lord William Paulet, C. 8,, at Government-house, to which the following gentlemen were invited :—The Mayor of Portsmouth; Lieut—Gen. Sir Richard Airey, K.C.8., Quartermaster- Gen. ; Rear-Admiral George Elliot; Col. Mackirdy, corn 69th Regiment; Col. Gordon, C. 8.. commanding R.E. ; Col. Gambier, C. 8., ; Col. Stuart, C. 8., commanding 21st Fusiliers ; Col. Elliot, commanding RSA.; Col, Benn, HA.; Col. Murray, commanding 87th Fusiliers; Col. Ayles, Commandant R.M.L.I. ; Cal. Tato Commandant R.h.l.A. ; Col. Clifton, A.D.°. ; Lieut.-Col. Carey, commanding 26th Cameronians ; Lieut. Col. Shute, commanding 64th Regiment; Capt. Scott, R.N., Victory. The Imperial Russian screw corvette Rynda, 11 guns, Capt. Basargine, anchored at the Motherbank, off Ryde, Isle of Wight, yesterday morning from Pernambuco, bound for the Baltic. Yesterday morning her Majesty's steamship Achilles left Sheerness harbour for Portsmouth. While the vessel was preparing for sea, a hawser broke and struck a man named John Dorgin on the head, and seriously wounded James Barling, leading man of riggers in Sheerness dockyard ; and John Callan, also a rigger. The men were taken to the surgery in the dockyard, where Dorgin expired almost im mediately. The other two men had their wounds dressed by Assist.-Surg. Skene, and afterwards were well enough to walk to their own homes. The unfortunate man Dorgin has left a wife and six children, one child now lying deed. Vice-Admiral Henry Francis Greville, 1).B., died on Tuesday last, after a long illness, at his country seat in Berkshire, aged 70. Ho was the second son of Lieut. Col, Henry F. Greville. He entered the navy in 180 G on board the Renown, Capt. Durham, and next joined the Arethusa. In this ship, as midshipman, he took part in the active ope ratwns on the north coast of Spain, wlacre in a boat affair he was shot through the leg. He afterwards joined the Volage, Capt. P. Hornby, and he subsequently saw service on the Boulogne and North American stations. In 1817 he held the office of private secretary to Lord Combermere. After holding various employments and commands he was in 1851 appointed to the command of the Trafalgar, 120, on the Mediterranean station, in ithich ship he served during the war with Russia. For his gallant services during the war in the East he was made a Companion of the Bath, and an officer of the Legion of Honour by Napoleon III.; he was also decorated by the Sultan with the Medjidie of the 3d class, The deceased officer's commissions bore date as follows Jan, 4, 1814—commander, July 19, 1822 —capt., Aug. 27, 1832—rest - admiral, May 19, 1856—vice admiral, April 1, 1863, Lieut, D. M‘Mahon, Ist battalion Military Train, has in- THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 20, 1864. vented and brought into complete working order a most useful species of packsaddle, adapted to the capacity of horses and mules of various sizes and burdens. By a simple con trivance of turning an inverted screw in the upper part of the framework, the saddle is brought to fit the back of any ordinary horse or mule, and is enlarged or rendered suitable to smaller animals as required. The invention was yesterday exhibited at Woolwich, and was fully tested in presence of a number of officers appointed to investigate its capabilities preparatory to its being despatched to Aldershot,by order of the Field-Marshal Commanding in Chief of the Forces, who has directed the Lieut. Gen. commanding the division on that station to afford the invention a proper trial, and to report the result. Lieut. M`Mahon states that, from his experience during the Crimean and Chinese campaigns, he is aware that many hundreds of animals were lost to the service from the pack-saddles torturing the animals' backs, and that ill-fitting saddles rendered the transport of stores on a campaign in an enemy's country most difficult and un safe. He also states tfiat, from the many specimens he has seen of packsaddles used by foreign Governments, there is nothing in use so serviceable as that now invented, It can be unscrewed and packed in less than half the space re quired for transporting the one now in use, and can be ex panded or contracted at will. The following appointments have been made at the Ad miralty :—Lieut. Herbert F. Crohan to the Excellent ; R. Mungle, surgeon, additional to the Duncan; Nicholas L. Gedge, clerk to the Excellent, for the Royal Sovereign; Archibald G. Douglas, master's assistant, to the Dasher ; and Alfred B. Scott, master's assistant, to the Victory, RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE, COCKERMOUTH AND WORKINGTON, It appears that recent negotiations between the directors of this company and the directors of the Whitehaven Junction Railway Company have re sulted in a provisional agreement to lease the Cookermouth lino to the Whitehaven Junction Com. pany in perpetuity, on terms equivalent to a dividend of 10 per cent. per annum on the ordinary capital of the Cookermouth Company. COPENHAGEN. Yesterday a special general meeting of this com pany was held at the offices, Angel-court, Throg.. morton•street, Mr P. P. Gordon in the chair, to con sider the present condition of the company. The chairman said the receipts on the section of the line opened to Fredericksborg fully justified the expec tations that had been formed of it, and the section to Klampenberg would be completed by the bogie-- fling of the year. The present meeting had been called to consider the question of raising further funds, it having been found necessary to lay down a double line in certain localities, in consequence of which the cost of the line would exceed the original estimate. Under these circumstances the contractor had agreed to complete the line, to comply with the requirements of the municipal authorities, and to receive part payment in debentures bearing interest at 7 per cent. This would render it necessary to call up more than X 7 per share and to issue debentures bearing interest at 7 per cent., redeemable in five years to the extent of the paid•up capital of the company (X 27,000). By this means ample funds would be provided for the completion of the line, rolling stock, and stations. A long discussion en sued on the present position of the company's affairs, and upon the impracticability, in the present state of the money market, of issuing debentures as proposed. Ultimately a committee of three share holders, to act with the directors, was appointed to inquire into the company's affairs and ascertain what was best to be done, and the meeting separated. GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA. The traffic receipts on this company's lines, my eluding those of the Montreal and Champlain and BuffAlo and Lake Huron Railways, amounted for the week ending the Ist inst., on 1,335 miles, to £24,544; and for the corresponding week of last year, on the same mileage, to £23,352, showing an increase of £1,192, Yesterday a reward of £lOO was offered for the capture the burglars who broke into the permises of Mr Annis' pawnbroker, at the corner of John-street, Minoriea, carried off about £5OO in money. The circumstances sh( that both the burglary and robbery of the cash were el dently well planned, and carried out with considerable de beration. On Sunday morning, about 7 o'clock, the serve girl was coming downstairs to attend her ordinary doinesl duties as usual, when on reaching the last landing eh° 7/ alarmed at seeing a man near the side street door, apparent about to go out. She i mme di a t e ly re t ur ned upstairs in ord to arouse her master and the other inmates, and as shelf going up she heard the door shut, as if the man had lei The girl, accompanied by her mistress and others sleepit in the house, then proceeded downstairs, and a brief esara nation showed that the money s af e in the counting how had been opened by the keys, and about £5OO i n gold at silver had been abstracted. Information of the event wa s forwarded to the neigl bouring police station in Seething-lane, and Mr Inspect( Scott and Sergeant Goodeaves, of the City force, reps' of to the house and instituted an inquiry into the wil t ! of the facts. It was di scovere d that the burgle( oIY had effected an entrance th roug h a s kylight of a Wa re h f • tt on the upper part of th e p rem i se ,, one o f the pane ° °. • glass having been removed in or d e r to open a kind of ViLt, dow-flap, The officers went on to the roofs of Mr Ann ie house and those adjoining, and footmarks were clearly trace able. The thieves having succeeded in getting into the bone( f and beivg provided with a d ar k l an t ern , which was ll in the place, th e y p rocee d e d d ownsta i rs towards t h e lo part of the premises, where a stock of watches, gold oba ill d and other property, of the value of some thousand:of was stored. On the s econ d l an di ng th ere was a door Oa; with an alarm bell, which wou ld i mme di a tely have soonii and aroused the inm a t es h a d th e d oor b een o pened. To 0° this difficulty the burglars climbed over the high beni atell of a kind of well-st a i rcase an d so reac h e d the lower flig il h . te i stairs. To obtain possession of the keys it would seem tm i r, they had the audacity to enter Mr Annis's bedroora, wh ere he was asleep, and take a buuch of keys out of his tr° lls , — o . pocket. One of these keys opened a drawer in the 0110411" e house which contained the keys of the safe, an d h e : tit thieves had easy access to the cash, amounting, at % -ibre e stated, to about .aOO. Of the stock of jewellery in tme h lae ra nothing was missing, and it is conjectured that the re- f e it were disturbed before they could possess themselves ": Had the servant girl had the presence of m i n d 0 b a t ; waited a moment or so until th e man h e d g one on- of —. door and then given an a l arm i n th e s t ree t, instead of ning back upstairs to her master, the fellow might poseill have been caught, as there is a cabstand close bYI amid the stillne ss th a t p reva il e d a t th a t ti m e on a Slius j morning her cries w ou ld h ave b een soon h ear d. T llB g i the however, to owever, has given s uc h a d escr i p ti on o f the non police, as may, with oth er c i rcumstances a nd the Pin„ di i ii n g . of the hat on the roof, lead to the detection of the of parties. It is supposed that th e thi eves —for it is he 1" clear that there was only one — con t r i ve d to secrei; tta* doore selves in an uninhabited h ou S e now un d er re pair som e from that of Mr An n i s , an d a t m id n i g ht c l am bered over the,4 rats of the intervening houses, and so reached the elrYlig; through which they effect e d an entry. There were five P e r : sons sleeping in the hou s e o f M r A nn i s . The princiP ahs l t : tired to rest at half-past twe l ve on Sunday morni n g' a.--f making up the accounts and the cash which bad been takell during the day. GREAT WESTERN OF CANADA. The traffic receipts on this company's line for the week ending the 6th inst. amounted, on 345 miles, to £12,970, against £12,934 on the same mileage for the corresponding week last year, showing an increase of £36. The receipts on the Detroit and Milwaukie line amounted, on 189 miles, for the . week ending as above, t0,£6,713, against £5,221 on the same mileage for the corresponding week of 1863, showing an increase of £1,492, PERNAMBUCO. The report of the directors states that they had fully expected to have been enabled to announce the final settle ment of the long-pending question of the extension of the company's guarantee. Capt. de Medeiros, the Government consulting engineer, after careful investigation and personal examination of the works, made his report to the Imperial Government recommending the extension of the guaranteed capital by the sum of £485,648. This recommendation, having been adopted successively by the three Ministers who succeeded Senor Sinimbu (since 1861), and finally sanctioned by the Finance Committee of the Council of State, was, early in the month of May last. brought before the Chamber of Deputies, and read a first time as part of the Ministerial estimates. The Imperial Government, between whom and the company the most friendly relations existed, thus pledged itself to an augmentation of the company's guaranteed capital to at least the amount so recommended by Capt. de Medeiros, an instance of good faith on the part of the Government which the directors felt assured would be appreciated and acknowledged by the shareholders, and which could not fail to enhance in public estimation the honour and character of Brazil. On the second reading, which took place on June 1, it was, after debate, carried by a majority of 57 to 28. On July 7 following it passed the third reading by a majority almost as great ; in which state it went up in due course to the Senate, where, according to the manager's last despatch to the directors, it was still waiting to come on as part of the estimates, with every pro spect of being carried before the close of the session, which was then expected to terminate as usual on the 2d of September. But an unexpected dissolution of the Ministry, on grounds wholly unconnected with this measure, having taken place at the latter end of August, a suspension of business unavoidably occurred. The session, however, having been subsequently extended to the 12th of Septem ber, with the view of enabling the new Government to get through with the estimates of their predecessors, which they had taken up, it was possible that ;.he French mail, which would be due before the meeting, might bring intele ligence of the measure having passed; otherwise the manager feared it would have to stand over, if not to an adjourned session, until next regular session, which would be in April. The directors deeply regretted the continuance of this long protracted state of suspense ; but having full reliance not less on the honour of Brazil than on the justice of the company's case, they all felt assured that it was sim ply a question of time. As regarded capital, the account of which was virtually closed, the Board were of opinion that it would be for the advantage of the shareholders that the shares of the company, which were now paid in full, should be converted into stock. The traffic receipt for the six months ending June 30, 1864, amounted to £26,197, against £24,759 for the corresponding period of 1863, and £17,959 in 1862 , and notwithstanding the great reductions in the tariff which had been experimentally in operation since DAO. I in last year, the six months ending June 30 last had yielded a net surplus beyond all working expenses, actual and contingent, in England and Brazil of £3,327, of which the Imperial Go vernment had had the benefit in account, and one-half of which had by arrangement with thorn been allowed to be retained by the company towards recouping the cost of the recent supply of the three additional locomotives mentioned in the last report. The result therefore was that the half year's guaranteed interest received from the Government on the existing capital, after payment of the interest on the Government loan and on the existing debentures, had yielded a surplus of £19,696 applicable to interim dividend, at the rate of something more than 3 per cent, per annum on the present share capital, or 11 per cent. for the half-year. The line and works, which have recently been officially exa mined by the Engineer Fiscal, and the whole of the rolling stock were reported to the directors to be in good working condition. The insufficiency of the rolling stock still con tinued to be seriously felt, and had been pressed upon the Imperial Government, who were perfectly aware of the ne cessity for an increased supply ; but this, with the extension into Recife and other minor questions, stood over, at their instance, until after the additional guarantee had been finally disposed of. The directors had no doubt of its being dealt with at an early period, as the Imperial Government were not only fully aware that the traffic was on the increase, but were themselves contemplating its further development by a road to bo opened from Victoria to Frexeiras, which, if car ried out, would materially augment the company's receipts. The lawsuit with the late contractor yet remained undecided. The company had secured the services of Mr Bovill in the place of the late Mr Welsby, and the directors wore advised that the decision of the Court might be expected in Hilary Term next. The directors had much pleasure in stating that the health of the entire staff, with some trifling excep tions, continued good, no cases of fever of any importance having occurred since the directors' last report. The re- venue account for the six months ending the 30th of June last showed that £26,197 had been received on account of traffic, and £24,973 on account of the Government gua rantee, making together £51,170. From this was deducted 20,942 for working expenses, £3,184 interest on floating debt and debentures, and £2,347 legal expenses inEngland, leaving a balance of £19,697. The expenditure on cipital account amounted to £1,822,153, leaving a balance of £20,425 in favour of the company, The Daring Burglary at a City Pawnbroker' COUNTRY MARKETS. HULL—TUESDAY. been Since our last a moderate amount of business has he ld done in the corn trade. English wheats are generallY;ica for advancing prices, which buyers decline paying+, S i 00 1 e. foreign qualities in request at full rates ; inferior a alb i ,„ of At our market to-day there was a moderate auPP nA ta tio English wheat, which met a steady sale at the qu° oeo of last week. Foreign wheat was in retail request, l b re change in price. Grinding barley a ready sale at the E AU , vious week's advance. Beans, oats, and peas s old 132" rattly, at about former rates. LYNN—TUESDAY. theme The weather continues dry, with a change in eat to the south-west. At to-day's market the supply of : op , was moderate, late prices being fully supported. Tb d 0 0 of barley was plentiful, at late rates. For teens an trade was very firm. to 310 White wheat .....43s to 45s f B ar l e y ..... • • 360 3l° lied .. 3 78 t o 38 s 1 G r i n di ng ...... • •": to 2 64 Beans .... .460 o s s to 375 42 Peas s I O c itts s .. 01d... 36s Averages Wheats, 37s ld—barley, 29s 10d—bea1151 39s Od. OUTH—TUESY. The local ma M rke O ts NM have been fairly DA attended by 1) 1 1 buyers and sellers during the last six or coven (1 1 0 : with a considerable bu s i ness d o i ng , a t a b o ut former P rice The average quotations are as follows : 10d \Vilest, white 5s 3d to 5s 9d Barley..." . 3s 4d to 3s pd Ditto red..... Os Od to Os Od Oats ....... 2s 4 d t o 3s MARKET HARBOROUGH—TUESDAY. Wit h a A moderate quantity of wheat to-day, w hich met fair inquiry at prices much th e same as l as t week. Barley p y. and oats came freely to hand, b u t p r i ces as last W e ', —White wheat, 41s to 455; red, 38 s t o 43 s per 36 ste n o Malting barley at 31s to 34s per qr.; gr i n di ng, 26S to 330 per 30 st, Oats, old, 25s to 275; new, 20s to 25s p er st.; beans, 36s to 42s per qr. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE—TUESDAY. %Of At our corn market to-day the supply of wheat moderate, which sold at barely former rates, with a 8 1 1° ,, business—new white, 39s to 49s ; red, 37s to 40s. B ar ,'„ ed s i both malting and grinding, was an exceedingly slow asw, t b, scarcely eo much money. Oats declined 6d per qr.. large arrivals. Beans an d p eas ra th er rather lower. Fi ° not much sought after. COAL M.. Prima of Coal per Ton at a. d., SILK ET. the close of the market. Byass's Bebside West Hartley ..19 6 Baddle's West Hartley 19 6 Hastings Hartley .... 19 6 Holywell l9 0 Eden Main 2O 3 Ships at niarke waiiB 6 D Helton **** ..2.. 20 Tunstall • .......... 20 6 tieugh Hall ......... 2 0 0 South Kelloo ......... :t, 26 ; sold, 24, Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. 19 , Australia and Mauritius, vi a S ou th ampton ...... • ne v t. 12. via Marseilles . . N o 4. Brazil and Cape Verds, b y B r i t i s h packet...... .. Ncv' o, Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. O ct ' 19, China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. o6 via Marseilles ...Oct' Falkland Islands 9 ' Gibraltar, via S ou th amp t on Oct. 110. India (Calcutt a ), an d C ey l on, v i a Southampton , - , n e t ' 21. via Marseilles... • O ct ' , India (Bombay), via Southampton .... , ct. 21 via Marseilles ........ u 4. Portugal.... .... Nov. , a. Malta, Egypt, and Adon, via Southampton ...... Oct. 4 . via Marseilles . ....... Oct. ,t g. Newfoundland . • Oct. :hv Oporto and Vigo nO. U. S. and Briti s h N. A mer i ca , by Brit. packet.. • • Oct'-'-' -by U.S. - packet • • t. 21. by Canadian packet. o c All parts of West - Indi es , i nc l u di ng Chili , Peru) i 00t. 29. California. and Briti s h Columbia.. IN ANOTHER SUSPECTED INCENDIARY F IRE -- YORKSHIRE.—Another stackyard conflagrat ion o brae out at Norton, near Malton, in the East Riding , ° be Sunday afternoon. O n thi s occas i on M r H arr i so n Iv" the sufferer, a numbez of st ac k s , farm-buildings, imPl elue , r l2 l l -o ; &c., being destroyed or greatly injured by the flames. fire had'it all its own way, as no water was to be found 1 the neighbourhood fo r th e supp l y of the engines. A sudde n change in the wind save d an i mportant range o f b u ilding o P the destruction of which would have greatly increased fl3° total loss. The hind's wife had been confined only the P re.. vious day, and had to be carried to an adjoining cotteg d e: and some horses, bea s t s , an d p i gs i n t h e a dj o i n i n g buil d ings had a narrow esca p e f rom b e i ng roas t e d alive. The cause of the fire is a my s t er y, b u t it i s p o p u l ar ly attribute d ' with but too much reason , t o the incendiarie s who ba le been so busy of late in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. l b ?, full value of destroyed stacks, buildings, and impleroon'' is net now ascertainable ; but it is stated that owing to the alarm caused by the incendiary fires in the count,' fir. Harrison insured his stacks in the Leeds and Yorkshire office only ten day s ago . Th e premises are the proper ty °- Mr. Robert Bower, of Welhal-hill. Births. ASSER,—On the 17th inst., at Herne Lodge, Forest -hill ' the wife of R o b er t Asset. of a son. BUNSEN.—On the 18th inst., at The Grove, Cromer, O r° ' George von Bunsen, of a son. oh BUCKLE.—On the 17th inst., at York, the wife of o° cA Buckle, Esq., of a son. TRISTRAM.—On the 19th inst., 'at 4, The College of Ad v ,,,T . caws, Doctors'-commons, tin wife of T, Tristr a i —i • Esq., D,C.L , of a son. Marriages. Ab' CROSS —SAUNDERS.—OR the 18th inst at St. Marl t. bott's, h ensington, Charles James Cross,. Esq., of Br ell o f ford, to Eliza, daughter of the late J. Saunders, B 6(1.1 Kensington. HARVEY—Pf AMEX. --OR the 19th inst., ,„,g William hia rv h el ; ' Esq. of Brighton, to Emily, third daughter of Dlr. L'''' -- Peachey, late of Pulbor oug h . g Deaths. ALP GREYILLE.—On tha 18th inst., at Canon Hill, Vice' miral Henry Francis Greville, C.B , aged 70. JULLION —On e, Lea Fell, Gatesheatdh, e John h L o i u n s t j , o ß n e , ll E - V e q u . P H h o . u p s 37. NICHOLSON,—On the 17th inst,, at Stoney R,oyd, ed u". Yorkshire, M r , Francis Housley Nicholson,ag SUTTON.—On the 17th inst,, at Taunton, Mr. Hy. Sutton bookseller, aged 50. This, —On the 17th inst., Thomas Tims, Esq., of High' gate-rise, and 54, Upp er Ch ar l otte - street, Fit zro y-squa aged 54. TANSWELL.—On the 18th inst, ' at Temple House, Nun'; head, Surrey, Joh n Tanswell, Esq , of the Inner Ten3l) ages 64. London: Prinz,ad and Prbffehed by WILLrAMAND I '" . of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at l'az SuN office :12 Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, n the CcuntY 0 Alldllesex,—Tharsday, October 20, 1861.